Scientific American 03 2008

Scientific American, March 2008
The End of Cosmology?
Will the big bang be forgotten? The accelerating cosmic expansion is wiping away every trace of the universe's origin.

When Markets Beat the Polls
Internet-based financial markets may predict elections more reliably than polls do. They can augur future box-office returns and flu seasons, too.

White Matter Matters
Long regarded as passive support for cogitating neurons, the brain's white matter shows that it actively affects learning and mental illness.

The Limits of Quantum Computers
Futuristic quantum computers could be exceptionally fast at certain tasks, but for most problems they would only modestly outclass today's conventional machines.